Blue Prints by Mister Charlie Frazier
Blue Fox has been a fixture on the Vermont blues scene since he arrived here in 1991. He's hosted jam sessions at Papa's Blues Cellar and the Vermont Pub and Brewery, and he's well known locally as a player of relentless energy, passion and showmanship. And now, the latest version of his band the Rockin' Daddies (with Larry Vigneault on bass and vocals and Paul "Van Ludwig" Hislop on drums,) has fashioned a compact disc collection that is a good representation of their live show, mixing eleven originals and four covers.
James Montgomery once compared Blue's playing to a cross between Muddy Waters and Buddy Guy, but I see an even more complex hybrid of styles with influences running the gamut from Magic Sam to Jorma. Like Blue's solid grab bag of musical blues styles, the songs exhibit a multitude of beats and regional styles. Country, swing, shuffle, funk, rap and boogie seasoning can all be found in this musical stew.
The original instrumentals “Blues Blast” and “Back Porch Harp Attack” allow Blue to showcase his harmonica prowess, while Vigneault contributes a bedrock foundation, with nice quick solo runs in “Funk You Funk Me” and “Runnin’.” Hislop provides steady drum work throughout the album. Solid, concise and to the point musicianship allows the songs to shine, with especially good dynamics in Robert Johnson's “Champagne and Reefer.” The other covers, standards by Dylan, Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters, are given fresh treatments and sound good in the context of the album as a whole.
One of the highlights of The Way Things Are is the song “I Love My TV”, which could be the theme song of today's MTV generation as a lament that without television they might have to learn to read for entertainment!
Produced by Blue Fox and the Rockin' Daddies at Low Tech with Gus”The Man” Zeising at the board, this fine sounding disc was mastered by Lane Gibson at Charles Eller Studio in Charlotte. Listen to it loud and enjoy!
Details are still sketchy, but it looks like WIZN will be releasing a CD featuring “The Best Blues of the Green Mountains.” Those interested should call Mr Charlie at 434-4947. A DAT master of an original song will be required with a B&W photo and bio. The CD will benefit a local charity, with national distribution to record companies and radio stations.
Be sure to catch John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers on March 17th at Club Metronome in Burlington. Celebrate St Patrick's Day with the legendary British rocker, still jamming in his 60s with a career that now spans for decades!
Mr. Charlie Fraser operates the double headed monster Blues for Breakfast both as a radio show on WIZN, Sundays from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m., and on sax, harp and vocals in clubs all over New England and New York. He’s also Burlington's favorite window washer.